FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1988
2
CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE COURTS
THERE ARE MANY POSSIBILITIES IN INCREASING THE USE OF CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE COURTS AND COURT PROCEEDINGS, THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR TI LIANG YANG, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE JUDICIARY IS AT THE MOMENT CONDUCTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE REPORT OF A WORKING PARTY ON THE GREATER USE OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN COURTS AND COURT PROCEEDINGS, SIR TI LIANG SAID ADDRESSING THE LAW SOCIETY LEGAL ADVICE AND ANNUAL DINNER.
WHEN DUTY LAWYER SCHEMES
"IT IS EXPECTED THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO COME ΤΟ SOME FAIRLY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ON SUCH ISSUES AS MANPOWER AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES REGARDING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE COURTS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, HE SAID.
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BECAUSE THE REPORT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FAVOURABLY BY THE LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE CHIEF JUSTICE INCREASED SAID THAT HE WAS ENCOURAGED TO THINK THAT THE FRAMEWORK FOR USE OF CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE COURTS AND COURT PROCEDURE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FAIRLY SOON AND WITHOUT UNSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTIES.
LANGUAGE "FOR ABOUT 140 YEARS, THE OFFICIAL
OF THE
HAS LAW BEEN ENGLISH. EVEN WITH THE ENACTMENT OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ORDINANCE 1974, THE USE OF CHINESE WAS LIMITED то THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS, THE CORONERS' COURTS, THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL,
SMALL CLAIMS HIGHER TRIBUNAL AND ONE OR TWO OTHER COURTS. IN THE
ENGLISH COURTS, CONTINUES TO BE THE ONLY LANGUAGE WHICH MAY BE USED, HE SAID.
THE
THE
"QUITE APART FROM CONSIDERATIONS CONNECTED WITH 1997, OBVIOUS THAT A GREATER USE OF CHINESE MUST BE ENCOURAGED. OF 1997 MAKES THE ISSUE MORE URGENT.
..
SIR TI LIANG ADDED THAT BY CHINESE. HE MEANT CANTONESE AND THE CONVENTIONAL WRITTEN CHINESE.
"THE ULTIMATE QUESTION IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THIS
HUMAN RESOURCES, IS FEASIBLE, IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL AND AND THE SMOOTH AND EXPEDITIOUS ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE,
"
IT IS COMING
THE SPOKEN
ASPIRATION
TIME SCALE HE SAID.
THE
A "CONNECTED WITH THE SETTING UP OF
SYSTEM OR STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE USE OF CHINESE MAY BE INCREASED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION, CONSIDERATION OF THE NUMBER OF CHINESE-SPEAKING JUDICIAL OFFICERS CANNOT ВЕ OVERLOOKED. SO LONG EXPATRIATES, THE LIMITED.
++
USE
AS COURTS ARE
PRESIDED OVER OF CHINESE MUST OF PRACTICAL NECESSITY
BY
BE
THE
USE GREATER AS A TOTAL PACKAGE
OF
BE
LOWER AND THUS, THE RELATED TO
USE
THE
SIR TI LIANG SAID THAT BROADLY SPEAKING, BE EXAMINED WRITTEN AND SPOKEN CHINESE SHOULD
TOPIC, NAMELY, ITS USE IN COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THE HIGHER COURTS, AND IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS.
MAGISTRATES' COURTS MUST OF A LANGUAGE IN THE LANGUAGE TO BE USED ON APPEAL IN THE HIGH COURT.
/HE POINTED